Solaris had found his way to the beach before sunrise that morning, settling himself at the edge of the sand in the very spot he had been promoted to Proxy. The night before, Vera E'Tani had approached him once more and appointed him Warden of the League. It was an honor and a burden, and he was starting to feel the pull. He had been raised among these cats, affected and afflicted by their mindset and culture, and knew many of them. But now the League was in a season of rebuilding, and a large portion of that fell to him. It wasn't that he doubted his own abilities- his own power and potential had been his stronghold in the shifting seasons of Primal Instinct- but now he was taking on training and patrol organization and things that he had never seen himself doing.

So now the sinewy ginger tom sat, watching the sky turn from navy to a rose blue, awaiting the sunrise on another day on duties.

Solaris straightened and turned to see the newcomer, interest in his amber gaze. “I am.” He returned her greeting with a nod, looking over the she-cat closely. Familiar, but not bringing a name to mind- he had become too busy to converse with any newer cats. “Forgive me, but I don’t believe I know your name.” The statement was framed as a question, his curiosity growing as he watched her.

"Cheeky." Solaris responded, a tinge of amusement lingering on his words. The ginger tom watched her for a moment more, then turned to the ocean as well. "I assume you're a newcomer. I used to know the initiates fairly well, but I've been... busy as of late. How are you finding the League so far?" His curiosity was genuine; he had grown up here, so the perspective of outsiders had always interested him.

"It's good, that you enjoy it. It's not for everyone, but I've always felt a certain affection for the League." Solaris felt an urge to move, so he turned to her again. "Would you like to walk as we chat? I'm interested to know more of your background. We don't have as many initiates these days." Besides, the sky was rapidly lightening, and they may go blind from the sunrise if they sat and stared at it for much longer.

Solaris simply nodded in response to her statement, thinking briefly that he enjoyed the sound of her laugh- not many felt comfortable enough around him to laugh. He stood, sinking his taut frame into a stretch for just a moment before padding off, closer to the gentle waves and then parallel to them. The sand was grainy under his paws, but this sensation was offset by the pleasant warmth of the rising sun. "Tell me how you found Primal Instinct." His request, though blunt, was stated rather kindly.

"That was merciful of you." Solaris briefly wondered which cat it had been, before casting the dour thought from his mind. "And how did you find the initiation process? Was it... overly harsh, or did it test you in the right ways?" Having been born in the Regime, Solaris had never been through the process himself, though his parents had been. They had never revealed exactly what they had gone through, so his curiosity remained unsatiated.

"That's a thorough assessment." Solaris felt a sudden salty breeze ruffle the fur on his shoulders, though it wasn't unpleasant. "Being a member of the League does require a certain kind of mental stamina. Do you think there should be some form of standardized examination, or did you think the tailoring made it more useful?" The ginger tom didn't mean to make her feel like she was being interrogated, but once he began down a line of thought it was hard for him to stop. He returned her gaze, trying to seem more sociable and less single-mindedly inquisitive.

"That's a very good point." Solaris' cordial demeanor broke for a moment, a small smile parting on his face. "It's the best observations I've heard about the initiation system. Not many cats seem to care about the newcomers to the League." Solaris had always favored internal improvement, and finding a cat who could meet him at his level was a welcome change of pace. "I'm pleasantly surprised at your attention to detail."